BARREL 1T: Bremsstrahlung X-ray Spectra from Balloon Campaigns

Four channels of fast time resolution Bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra collected by the BARREL balloon mission. The data was gathered by NASA to study electron losses from Earth's Radiation Belts, with campaigns conducted in Antarctica during 2013-2014 and in Sweden during 2015-2016. Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across the four campaigns.

Use Cases

• Analyzing relativistic electron precipitation events based on fast time resolution X-ray spectra
• Characterizing the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies based on multi-balloon array data
• Correlating balloon measurements with Van Allen Probes mission data to study electron losses
• Studying ULF-timescale magnetic field variations based on concurrent magnetometer data mentioned in the description

Strengths

• Fast time resolution of 50 milliseconds per channel
• Four separate spectral channels (FSPC1-FSPC4) covering an energy range from 0 MeV to 1.5 MeV
• Data collected from over 50 balloon launches across four campaigns

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data formats include BIN and PDF, which may require specialized tools for analysis

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measured by X-ray spectrometers and DC magnetometers carried on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in January-February 2013, 2014, August 2015, and August 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:09:24.090370; freshness should be verified

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV base in Antarctica, and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden.